You matter February 27, 2017

THE IDEA SEEMS simple enough. Post a sign that will uplift and encourage others. Yet it was so unexpected, which pleased me even more.

I love discovering sweet surprises that make my day or shift my mood or restore my faith in the goodness of others.

Of all places, I spotted this sign in the women’s restroom at Buckham Memorial Library in Faribault. The pointing finger and the bold words, YOU MATTER, grabbed my attention as I stood drying my hands under a blower.

And although I didn’t tear off a slip of paper, I read the messages:

You are VALUABLE.

You have INFLUENCE.

You are APPRECIATED.

You are LOVED.

You are TALENTED.

You are AMAZING.

I noticed several messages missing. And I considered how those words of encouragement, of validation, of praise may have affected those who took those slips.

We need more of this in today’s crazy world. We need to shift the focus away from ourselves to caring for others. Genuinely caring. It doesn’t take much effort. Just a few words posted on a sign in a public restroom, a few kind words spoken or encouraging words written can change a person’s day. We all need to hear sometimes that we matter, that we are loved and valued.

TELL ME: What easy ideas do you have (or have you seen) to uplift others? I would love to hear.

I love this post! And that sign! What a wonderful thing to discover. Have you heard of KindSpring.org? That is a website whose subtitle is “Small Acts That Change the World”. They offer constant reminders and ideas for small things we can do to spread kindness: buying coffee for the person in line behind you at the coffeehouse, leaving a book you’re done with on a public bench for someone else to read, holding the door open for a woman with a baby in a stroller, smiling at the person walking by you, letting someone else go ahead of you in the grocery line, and on and on. All of these small acts help everyone – those performing the kindness as well as those receiving it – remember that we all matter. Taking time to think about this daily can really shift how we all interact in a broader sense.

What a neat idea, I may even try to duplicate this sign for my granddaughter Audrey! I think she would really like it, and maybe on those days when she’s a little spent, well one of these little messages might just help perk her back up. Little ones need to hear these messages too…. I might just change the messages a bit to more fit her age. Thanks for sharing, love it!

Hi Audrey, I’m Deni, the Children’s Librarian at Buckham. Thank you for this wonderful post. You always have wonderful posts and many times about the library. Thank you. This sign was made by a librarian in Little Rock, AR with the intent to share with everyone. Her name is Kyna and we are both members of a huge Facebook group for librarians and library staff to share ideas and support. When she shared this sign with the group several months back, I knew we needed it in our library. Kyna said that within hours of hanging the signs around hers, she had to replace them 3 times! So many people need love and validation like this. I have been putting up these signs around Buckham since November and they are still replaced frequently. This is the message that Kyna sent when I emailed her to get the document:

Here you go! I made these myself so there shouldn’t be any copyright issues. I used free fonts and free clipart images! Let’s use our librarian powers to spread love and acceptance!
Thank you!
Kyna Leanne Stys
William F. Laman Public Library-Teen Library Associate

Kris Carr is such an inspiration and motivation to me. When she came out with her 52-card deck of Crazy Sexy Love Notes I knew I needed a deck for my desk at work. I pull a card every week and display at my desk. Love ideas like these, especially when the world around you goes a little nutso 🙂 Happy Day – Enjoy!